1 LOCATION AND SIZE

Ukraine is the second-largest country in Eastern Europe. It shares
borders with Belarus, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Hungary, Poland, and
Slovakia. It has a southeastern shoreline on the Sea of Azov and a
south-central coast along the Black Sea. With a total area of about
603,700 square kilometers (233,090 square miles), the country is
slightly smaller than the state of Texas. Ukraine is administratively
divided into twenty-four oblasti, one autonomous republic, and two
municipalities.

2 TERRITORIES AND DEPENDENCIES

Ukraine has no outside territories or dependencies.

3 CLIMATE

The climate of Ukraine is considered moderate and continental, with warm
summers and cold winters. The climate is Mediterranean along the
southern Crimean coast, with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. In
Kiev, the July temperature averages 20°C (69°F), while in
January the average is -6°C (21°F). Summers are warmer and
winters are colder in eastern Ukraine, where the weather is influenced
by large air masses from the steppes of Central Asia.

Ukraine's mild-to-moderate climate includes moderate levels of
precipitation, averaging around 50 centimeters (20 inches) per year,
although the amount varies by region. Rainfall is most frequent in
summer; the highest amounts occur in the Carpathian Mountains and the
lowest occur on the Black Sea coast, which proves favorable for the
Crimean tourism industry.

4 TOPOGRAPHIC REGIONS

Due to its great size, Ukraine features a wide variety of terrain and
climate conditions. The center of the country is predominantly a rolling
upland plain, or steppe. This plain is crossed by many of Eastern
Europe's major rivers. Other lower plains are found along the
Black Sea coast, while the southwestern corner of the country is part of
the delta
of the Danube River. The Polesye Marshes consist of low-lying swamps
and wooded bogs in northern Ukraine, extending into Belarus. The
Carpathian Mountains rise in the west. Lower mountains dot the Crimean
Peninsula (an autonomous republic considered part of Ukraine) and the
southeastern Donets region. Ukraine is located on the Eurasian Tectonic
Plate.

5 OCEANS AND SEAS

Seacoast and Undersea Features

Ukraine's coastline lies entirely on the Black Sea in the south.
Only the southwestern coast is on the Black Sea proper, however; the
rest is on the Sea of Azov, an arm of the Black Sea that is formed by
Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. The Black Sea is an inland body of
water that lies between the continents of Europe and Asia. It contains
calm waters that are free of tides and dangerous marine life. Called the
"Hospitable Sea" by the ancient Greeks, the Black Sea is
only half as saline as the Mediterranean Sea and has gentle sandy
slopes, making it ideal for swimming.

Sea Inlets and Straits

Estuaries of the Dnieper, Southern Bug, and Dniester Rivers, as well as
the delta of the Danube in the southwest, empty into the Black Sea.
Karkinit Bay indents the coast deeply, nearly separating the Crimean
Peninsula from the mainland. On the far side of the peninsula, the Kerch
Strait connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov. The Sea of Azov is
otherwise completely enclosed by Ukraine in the west and Russia in the
east. It has an area of 14,517 square miles (37,599 square kilometers).
Its coastline in Ukraine consists of uplands and
steppes. In the northeast, it extends deeply into Russia at the Gulf of
Taganrog. In the west, the Sivash Lagoon nearly reaches Karkinit Bay in
the Black Sea, separated only by the narrow Isthmus of Perekop.

Coastal Features

The coast on the Black Sea itself is a lowland area, with clay soils.

The Crimean Peninsula, also known as the Crimea, is an autonomous
republic in southeastern Ukraine. The peninsula extends well into the
Black Sea, measuring 175 kilometers (110 miles) from north to south and
320 kilometers (200 miles) from east to west, with a total area of
25,993 square kilometers (10,036 square miles). The narrow Isthmus of
Perekop joins the peninsula to the mainland in the north and the Kerch
Peninsula extends to the east, almost linking it with Russia. The Arabat
Spit is a long stretch of sand along the northeast coast of Crimea that
helps to form the Sivash Lagoon.

The climate along the southern Crimean coast is mild and the land is
scenic, with an abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and resorts.
Although the southeastern section of the peninsula is mountainous, most
of the interior is a flat plain or steppe. In contrast to the
Mediterranean-like southern coast, the Crimean plains experience cold,
windy winters and arid summers.

6 INLAND LAKES

More than twenty thousand small lakes dot the Ukraine landscape,
covering a total area of about 18,139 square kilometers (7,000 square
miles). The largest lakes in the country are all artificial, as the many
dams on the Dnieper have created huge reservoirs. The Kremenchuk
Reservoir and the Kakhovka Reservoir are the largest. The Kiev, Kaniv,
and Dniprodzerzhynsk Reservoirs are also noteworthy. The largest natural
lake is Lake Yalpuh (220 square kilometers/136 square miles) in the
Danube flood plain. Lake Svityaz (27 square kilometers/17 square miles)
is a lake in the Polesye Marshes of the northwest.

7 RIVERS AND WATERFALLS

Ukraine's most important river is the Dnieper. It flows south
across the middle of the country for about 980 kilometers (610 miles),
curving first east, then west, then finally south again before entering
the Black Sea. It flows for a total of 2,290 kilometers (1,420 miles)
from its source in Russia, making it the third-longest river in Europe.
Only the Volga and Danube Rivers are longer.

Over half of Ukraine's rivers belong to the Dnieper system,
draining a vast area of nearly 518,000 square kilometers (200,000 square
miles). Passing through Ukraine's most agriculturally developed
and industrialized areas, the Dnieper River is used to ship grain,
lumber, and metals. In Ukraine the river is entirely navigable, although
it freezes during the winter. The capital city of Kiev is located on the
upper Dnieper. There are numerous hydroelectric dams and large
reservoirs all along the Dnieper in Ukraine. Important tributary rivers
include Berezina, Desna, and Pripyat' (Pripet).

The northernmost channel of the Danube River forms Ukraine's
southwestern border with Romania. At 2,850 kilometers (1,771 miles), it
is the second-longest river in Europe. Thus, while it flows through
Ukraine for only a short distance before emptying into the Black Sea,
the Danube is the longest river that passes through the country. The
Danube has been a vital commercial and communications link since ancient
times, connecting the interior of Eastern and Central Europe to the
Black Sea.

The Dniester River originates in the Carpathian Mountains near Drohobych
in western Ukraine. It then flows southeast for 1,400 kilometers (870
miles) through western Ukraine and eastern Moldova (forming part of the
border with that country), before emptying into the Black Sea southwest
of Odessa. Its average width is 152 to 229 meters (500 to 750 feet), but
near the mouth it reaches a maximum width of 427 meters (1,400 feet) and
also forms a broad, marshy lagoon called the Dnistrovskyy Lyman. For
most of the year, grain, vegetables, sunflower seeds, cattle, and lumber
produced in the Dniester River Basin are shipped down the river to the
Black Sea and on to European and Asian markets. The Dniester Basin
encompasses some 77,700 square kilometers (30,000 square miles). In
winter the river remains largely frozen.

The Donets River (1,015 kilometers/631 miles) has its source in Russia
and flows south into Ukraine, then curves east across the easternmost
part of the country and reenters Russia. A tributary of Russia's
Don River, which empties into the Sea of Azov, the Donets has long been
used as a transportation artery. The Donets Basin is an important center
of industry and population in Ukraine.

The Bug River (Western Bug) originates in western Ukraine and flows
north, forming part of the border with Poland. Another river of the same
name, the Southern Bug, rises in northwestern Ukraine and flows
southeast, eventually emptying into the Black Sea near the mouth of the
Dnieper. Navigation is possible only for about 160 kilometers (100
miles) because of shallow conditions and rough water. At 856 kilometers
(532 miles) in length,
the Southern Bug is the longest river that lies entirely within
Ukraine.

The Tisza River, noted for its abundance of fish, is formed by the
confluence of the Black Tisza and the White Tisza rivers in the
Ukraine's Carpathian Mountains. It then flows northeast into
Romania, curving southwest and then south, running for a total of some
970 kilometers (600 miles) before finally joining the Danube in northern
Serbia.

The Polesye Marshes are a lowland in northern Ukraine and southern
Belarus, located along the Pripyat' River and covering about 270
square kilometers (105 square miles), making them the largest wetland in
Europe. The land consists mostly of flat, sandy, bog soils, interspersed
by a few low hills. Forests cover about a third of the marshes. The
marshes range in elevation from 100 meters (328 feet) in the northeast
to 250 meters (820 feet) in the south.

8 DESERTS

There are no desert regions in Ukraine.

9 FLAT AND ROLLING TERRAIN

Central Ukraine is characterized by mixed forest-steppe, with grasslands
interspersed with various deciduous trees, primarily oak. A true steppe
zone (grassy plains) covers the lower third of the country, thinning out
in the drier, more arid south. Along the southern Crimean coast lies a
narrow Mediterranean zone of mixed shrubs, grasses, and evergreens.

Ukraine has well-defined forest zones, with beech trees in the west;
linden, oak, and pine forest in the north and northwestern swamps and
meadows; and spruce trees in the northeast. About 18 percent of the
country is blanketed by forest; the densest tree cover occurs in the
Carpathian Mountains and in the Polesye Marshes.

Outside of its mountains, Ukraine has several areas of hills and
uplands. The most noteworthy are the Azov Upland north of the Sea of
Azov, the Donets Hills, and the Dnieper Upland, which is the watershed
between the Dnieper and the Southern Bug.

10 MOUNTAINS AND VOLCANOES

The Carpathian Mountains in the extreme west are the highest peaks in
the country. Mount Hoverlya, the tallest summit in the country (2,061
meters/6,762 feet), emerges from the Carpathians. The Crimean Mountains
at the southern end of Crimea are also noteworthy, reaching a maximum
height of 1,545 meters (5,068 feet) at Mount Roman-Kosh.

11 CANYONS AND CAVES

The Giant Gypsum Caves of Western Ukraine are located within the region
north of the Carpathian Mountains. One of the most famous is Optimistic
Cave, which has labyrinth passageways that stretch for a total distance
of about 212 kilometers (132 miles), making it the largest cave on the
continent and one of the largest in the world.

The Monastery of the Caves, near Kiev, is a fifty-six-acre complex that
started out as a small cave dwelling for a single Russian Orthodox monk.
Around the year 1051, as others joined him in his monastic life, the
small cave was dug into a larger underground community of cells
(residences for the monks) and a church. Eventually, the monks moved
above ground and began to use the caves as a burial site. Today, the
caves and the more recent cathedral structures have been designated as
an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

12 PLATEAUS AND MONOLITHS

There are no major plateau regions in Ukraine.

13 MAN-MADE FEATURES

Ukraine has a large number of dams built along nearly all of the major
rivers of the country. The largest ones are located on the Dnieper
River. These include the Kremenchuk, the Kakhovka, the Kiev, the Kaniv,
and the Dniprodzerzhynsk Dams. They are used primarily for hydroelectric
power, flood protection, and irrigation. All of these dams have created
large reservoirs throughout the course of their respective rivers.

DID YOU KNOW?

In April 1986, a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in
northern Ukraine experienced an explosion and core meltdown.
Radioactive contamination spread through the air over northern Ukraine
and southern Belarus and seeped into the ground, poisoning the water
supply and the nearby farmland. The devastating effects of this
accident on human health and the environment continue into the
twenty-first century.

Web Sites:

User Contributions:

I really like it information I got from this site, Is great and I appreciate that alot.Kudos to you people for the good and vital information you have here. I've gotten more than I needed,Am so hapi,Once again a big Thanks to you.

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: